2018 Honda Pilot electrical problems
85 of the 440 complaints owners filed with NHTSA about the 2018 Honda Pilot name the electrical system (NHTSA’s “Electrical System” heading — wiring, modules, batteries, charging, infotainment and driver displays — NHTSA's broadest heading). Filed under the same heading: 27 manufacturer bulletins. Every figure below is a document in a federal file, linked; none is a failure rate, and none is a verdict on any one car.
What owners filed about the electrical system
Source: NHTSA complaint database1 of the 85 reports a crash · 0 a fire · 0 injuries. Self-reported, unverified.
Filed per year: 2018: 1 · 2019: 4 · 2020: 6 · 2021: 3 · 2022: 35 · 2023: 8 · 2024: 10 · 2025: 12 · 2026: 6
Half of the 18 owners who gave an odometer reading reported the electrical problem between 19,000 and 90,000 miles. A median of reports, not the life of a part.
440 complaints in all about the 2018 Honda Pilot, 6 filed in 2026. The whole picture, every system →
Counts are owner reports to NHTSA, not verified defects, and scale with how many of these were sold; nothing here is a rate. NHTSA groups complaints coarsely, so “Electrical System” means the same area of the vehicle, not one fault.
Across model years: Honda Pilot electrical problems, every year on file →
In owners’ own words
Source: NHTSA complaint databaseFiled with NHTSA by the people who own these cars, about the electrical system. Quoted as written, with anything identifying removed; unverified reports — what was said, not a finding that it was true.
Failure to start. My car was located in my driveway. As soon as I pushed the start button the car completely shut off no power to any part. No lights were working, nothing, couldn't even lock it with key fob. The car was completely dead. With only 17k mile on a almost 3 year old car this should not be happening.
Vehicle is not starting on first attempt. Several times the push start button needs to be pressed before it does
I have a 2018 Honda Pilot ex 2WD, VIN number with 57,100 miles that I purchased from earnhardt Honda avondale, az on feb 13, 2018. On march 1, 2020 at 0830 my family of 6 and I were seated in our car in our garage preparing to leave to go to church.
The car locks itself while the key fob is inside the car after the driver closes the door from the outside. The key is now locked inside the car
The push button start feature will not start the vehicle. No error messages are displayed. 4 to 7 repeated attempts must be made in order to start the vehicle
What is on file about the electrical system
Source: NHTSA recalls, investigations and manufacturer communications27 manufacturer bulletins filed under this heading
The 0 newest are listed; every one is on the model year’s page. Quote the document number at a service desk — it is a diagnosis the maker has already written down.
Trouble codes named on this system
Codes a bulletin or an owner’s complaint about the 2018 Honda Pilot names on this model year; a code with a record of its own links it.
Other systems with a record on the 2018 Honda Pilot
Source: the same files- engine problems 165 complaints
- fuel system problems 125 complaints
- transmission and drivetrain problems 78 complaints
Common questions
Source: NHTSA complaint database, recalls and manufacturer communicationsAre electrical problems common on the 2018 Honda Pilot?
They are documented: NHTSA holds 85 owner complaints naming the electrical system on this model year (19% of everything owners filed about it), and 27 manufacturer bulletins are filed under the same heading. Whether it is a problem on one particular car is a diagnosis, not a count, and a count says nothing about how many were sold.
Is there a recall for the electrical system on the 2018 Honda Pilot?
No recall campaign is filed under this heading for this model year (there are 7 filed under other headings). A bulletin is not a recall: it carries no federal duty to repair for free.
When do electrical problems show up on the 2018 Honda Pilot?
Owners who gave an odometer reading reported it at a median of 50,000 miles; half of them between 19,000 and 90,000. That is when reports cluster, not the life of a part.
What does NHTSA's "Electrical System" heading cover?
Wiring, modules, batteries, charging, infotainment and driver displays — NHTSA's broadest heading. Owners choose the heading when they file, so it says which area of the vehicle the complaint is about, not which part failed.